Our Friendship
When we first became PAFs, many of us were told that, as a cohort, we wouldn’t get along. We were too different, too opinionated, too this, and too that. However, over the past two years, we have supported each other in ways that only true friends can. We’ve learned to accept each other for the exact differences that others assumed would keep us apart. We learned how we each express ourselves, who likes hugs and who doesn’t, and how each of us works under pressure. We’ve challenged each other to strive for and achieve more.
We agreed early on that the way we discuss work can vary from the way we discuss play, and we understand each other enough to not take things personally. It doesn’t matter if we are planning PAF events, running half marathons, traveling the globe for interviews, or advocating on behalf of marginalized communities, our growing friendship allows us to support each other in the way that each of us individually wants to be supported. Instead of our differences dividing us, they have brought us all together as true friends.
Our Growth
From the first day of our time together, we have learned and grown so much. As PAFs we’ve become master bakers, as potlucks have become another tradition PAFs love—from the onboarding session potluck to our PAFsgiving dinners, we have made awesome Nutella croissants, brownies, blueberry muffins, banana breads, and more. We’ve also grown as Google spreadsheets wizards throughout the last two years, as we not only appreciate project planners and collaboration, we also do not want to just have the skill of bringing cookies, grapes, and wine to a potluck.
Professionally, we cling to our inner green, blue, gold, and orange as we have become very self-aware of through True Colors activities, but have broadly expanded our color spectrums, and grown to appreciate those with different working styles. Moreover, we all not only have the courage, but also the understanding and tools, to have difficult conversations and discuss controversial issues. Although sometimes these discussions can be hard, because of the understanding and respect we have for each other, these discussions actually have brought us even closer. Last, but certainly not least, we all have grown into independent, strong, intelligent, and professional young female leaders who are also living our lives fashionably.
Our Diva Moments
Instead of running from our identity as the first all-female PAF cohort, we embraced it and all the diva moments that came along with it. Ashlynn and Kelsey automatically bonded over the head diva herself – Beyoncé – and never turned back. From our girls-only diva lunches ranging from bottomless brunch to quick coffee dates, to our individual fashion styles that are always seemingly color-coordinated (we wear a lot of black), all of us have been in touch with our inner divas over the past two years.
Our peak diva moments were probably during retreat – which transitioned from a nature-filled adventure to an indoor AirBnb staycation (you’re welcome). But we never strayed from the true definition of a diva, defined by the Queen Bey herself, “a female version of a hustler,” which we’ll carry on throughout the rest of our careers. We were always juggling multiple jobs, projects, and passions to achieve our goals, while maintaining our high academic achievement and dedication to GW and the PAF program – the way real divas should.
Our Service
Serving our community - locally, nationally, and internationally - is a priority for all six of us. During our time as PAFs we took every opportunity to serve alongside one another and support each other's individual service. From participating in Alternative Breaks as Learning Partners in LA, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Oklahoma, and Costa Rica to serving as a team with Habitat for Humanity and the Capital Area Food Bank, we constantly looked for ways to Raise High through service. This search led us to several new PAF service opportunities including developing a partnership with School Without Walls and donating professional clothes for women in need. We look forward to carrying on this tradition for decades to come!
Our Laughs
We’ve had many. We’re unclear on how #PeterKinpajamas didn’t immediately start trending on Twitter after our first retreat together. That weekend, we also had the opportunity to explain to Kathy why some of us can’t help looking like we are always painfully unamused. Since then, not only have we refined our own RBFs, but we’ve been able to share the joy (extreme indifference) of RBF with others. Soon after, we made a number of failed attempts to schedule cohort lunches or meet-ups. However, we quickly realized that Chelsea and Kelly (promptly renamed the “Obamas”) had busier schedules than the president himself, and we had to settle for an ad-hoc lunch at Chipotle during the workweek, which actually ended up being the perfect way to bond.
This past retreat, we all had some fun at Ashlynn’s expense attempting to rename her Instagram account; needless to say “@meettheprofit” was instantly rejected. Understandably, divas have high expectations, so the brainstorming continued. Finally, our cohort, as well as the entire group, had a laugh at Kickin’ Khadija’s expense (as did President Knapp) when she made an interesting name game choice during spring training. She may not ever live it down. We’ve had so many laughs together and will miss poking fun at ourselves and our PAFunniest moments. Cheers to never taking ourselves too seriously and to many more laughs to come!
Our Legacy
Our commitment to GW and PAF over the past two years has allowed us to revolutionize many aspects of this program and the university as a whole. All six of us were trailblazers as undergrads - from service, to residence life, to the multicultural and international student communities – and we used our unique talents to refine and improve programs and initiatives throughout the university. Starting with the PAF program itself, we enhanced alumni outreach and rebuilt our social media presence from the ground up (really to compete with @GWPeterK). We transformed the PAF community to be inclusive of all alumni - no matter where they live. And the internet, a magical tool, allowed us to break down those barriers to connect with more alumni across the country than ever before. In our placements, we reached new heights in student engagement through social media, workshops, and roundtables that connected our experience as students with our professional work.
All of us entered PAF with common goals - to work hard, stay humble, and collaborate with one another. Our success stems from those initial goals. Thanks to our cohort, all future PAFs can look forward to many “Look Mom” emails from Robert containing exciting news about the fellows. We learned from each other through academic presentations on topics that range from international trade to the environmental impact of dog poop, participating in MLK and Alumni Day of Service, and staying true to the real reason we’re all chosen to be PAFs - to serve our community, to serve the university, and to grow as individuals.